THE  MEMORY  COAT  

___________________  11th  Grade  US  History    

In  1892,  Ellis  Island  opened  in  New  York  harbor.    Arriving  immigrants  were  inspected  here  before  being  given  final  clearance  to  enter  America.  Inspections  were  everything.  If  you  passed  you  could  stay.    If  you  failed  you  would  be  sent  back  to  your  home  country,  which  often  meant  horrible  circumstances.    The  Memory  Coat  by  Elvira  Woodruff  tells  the  story  of  one  boy’s  journey  to  America  and  his  time  at  Ellis  Island.    Students  will  use  the  documents  in  the  DBQ  to  explore  the  immigrant  arrival  experience  at  Ellis  Island.    

   

DOCUMENT-­‐BASED  QUESTION    Directions:  You  will  read  The  Memory  Coat  by  Elvira  Woodruff.    This  project  is  based  on  your  ability  to  work  with  historical  documents.    Look  at  each  document  attached  below  A  –  M  and  answer  the  question  or  questions  after  each  document.    The  Library  of  Congress  Primary  Sources  Analysis  Tool  included  in  this  packet  will  guide  you  with  analyzing  the  documents.  Use  your  answers  to  the  questions  and  your  analysis  tool  for  each  document  to  help  you  write  your  essay.  

 Historical  Background:  In  the  late  1800’s  and  early  1900’s  almost  30  million  people  came  from  Europe  to  the  United  States.    Ellis  Island  was  the  main  processing  center  for  these  immigrants.      Guided  Questions  for  Book  reading:  

1. Are  all  immigrants  treated  equally?  2. Why  would  a  person  travel  to  America  with  no  guarantee  of  being  able  to  stay?  3. Why  are  inspections  important?  

   Task:      Using  the   information  from  the  documents  and  your  knowledge  of  the  topic,  answer  the  questions  that  follow  each  document  in  Part  1.    Your  answers  to  the  questions  will  help  you  to  write  the  Part  2  essay,  in  which  you  will  be  asked  to:    

           

Discuss the immigrant experience beginning with the decision to come to America and ending with the time spent at Ellis Island. Explain how determinations were made about which immigrants were allowed to enter the United States and which were sent back. Do you agree with the procedures used at Ellis Island? Why or why not?

Part  1  Short-­‐Answer  Questions    Directions:      

Carefully  analyze  the  following  documents  (A-­‐M)  and  answer  the  questions  that  follow  each  document.    

Document  A    

 Large  scale  map  of  Russia  in  Europe  1918  http://www.loc.gov/item/2003627052/    

 What  is  the  most  direct  route  an  immigrant  could  take  from  Russia  to  America?        List  the  countries  and  bodies  of  water  the  route  contains.  

   

 

Document  B    

 Letter  from  U.S.  Immigration  Service  Commissioner  William  Williams  to  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration  Regarding  Female  Boarding  Inspectors  at  Ellis  Island  http://research.archives.gov/description/625798  http://docsteach.org/documents/6257982/detail?menu=closed&mode=search&sortBy=relevance&q=ellis+island&commit=Go&type%5B%5D=written-­‐document    For  what  reasons  could  a  person  be  declared  ineligible  to  land?  

Document  C    

 Ellis  Island  and  Harbor,  New  York  (picture  taken  1900-­‐1920)  http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/det1994018425/PP/        Based  on  the  photograph,  describe  what  an  immigrant  would  have  seen  on  approach  to  the  Ellis  Island  immigration  station.    What  are  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  America’s  immigration  processing  station  being  located  on  an  actual  island  (Ellis  Island)?                

Document  D  

 Invitation  to  the  inauguration  of  the  Statue  of  Liberty  by  the  President  (Grover  Cleveland),  Oct  28,  1886.  Printed  invitation  engraved  with  gold  seal  and  lithograph  of  statue.  William  Maxwell  Evarts  Papers.  Manuscript  Division,  Library  of  Congress  (45)  http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002715406/        What  did  the  Statue  of  Liberty  symbolize  for  immigrants  arriving  to  America?                          

Document  E    

 A  Happy  New  Year  (postcard  created  between  1900-­‐1920)  http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004672480/        What  objects  do  you  see  in  the  postcard?    Describe  the  symbolism  you  see.    

   

Document  F    

 Welcome  to  all!  http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002719044/      According  to  the  political  cartoon,  what  are  five  reasons  immigrants  want  to  come  to  America?  

 Explain  why  each  reason  is  important.    

Document  G    

 Landing  at  Ellis  Island    http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/97501086/      What  does  the  photograph  reveal  about  the  personal  belongings  immigrants  brought  with  them  on  their  journey  to  America?    

Document  H    

 Recently  arrived  persons  at  Ellis  Island,  N.Y.    http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012646346/            Describe  the  clothing  of  the  immigrants  in  the  photograph.    Does  clothing  reveal  clues  about  social  class?    Why  or  why  not?                

Document  I  

 Immigrants  at  Ellis  Island  http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ggb2004008804/        Describe  the  clothing  of  the  immigrants  in  the  photograph.    Does  clothing  reveal  clues  about  social  class?    Why  or  why  not?                          

Document  J  

 Physical  examination  of  female  immigrants  at  Ellis  Island,  New  York  City http://loc.gov/pictures/item/95506353/      Describe  the  interactions  depicted  in  the  photograph.  

   

Document  K  

 Immigration  figures  for  1903  http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.rbc/rbpe.07902500    

 According  to  the  chart,  what  region  were  most  immigrants  from?  

 What  was  the  average  dollar  amount  brought  in  by  each  immigrant  in  1903?  

 How  many  immigrants  arriving  over  the  age  of  14  were  illiterate  in  1903?      

Document  L  

 

 

Bills  and  Resolutions,  Senate,  38th  Congress,  2nd  Session  Bill  403  http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-­‐bin/ampage?collId=llsb&fileName=038/llsb038.db&recNum=1629    What  is  the  title  of  the  act  that  was  approved  on  March  3,  1855?    According  to  the  bill,  list  the  only  people  authorized  to  board  a  newly  arrived  immigrant  vessel  and  interact  with  the  passengers?  

Document  M    

   The  sun.  (New  York  [N.Y.]),  09  Aug.  1906.  Chronicling  America:  Historic  American  Newspapers.  Lib.  of  Congress.  <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1906-­‐08-­‐09/ed-­‐1/seq-­‐1/>    

 What  are  the  authorities  criticized  for?          

Part  2  Essay    Historical  Context:  

In  the  late  1800’s  and  early  1900’s  almost  30  million  people  came  from  Europe  to  the  United  States.    Ellis  Island  was  the  main  processing  center  for  these  immigrants.  

 Directions:          

In  your  own  words,  write  a  well-­‐organized  essay  that  includes  an  introduction,  several                          paragraphs,  and  a  conclusion.  Use  the  documents,  the  answer  to  the  questions  in  Part  1,  your  analysis  tool  sheets,  and  your  knowledge  of  the  topic  to  complete  the  essay.    Your  essay  should  cover  the  following:  

                 

Discuss the immigrant experience beginning with the decision to come to America and ending with the time spent at Ellis Island. Explain how determinations were made about which immigrants were allowed to enter the United States and which were sent back. Do you agree with the procedures used at Ellis Island? Why or why not?

STUDENT  DOCUMENT  ANAYLISIS  TOOL      Directions:  

For  each  document  A  –  M  complete  a  separate  Library  of  Congress  Primary  Source  Analysis  Tool.    List  your  name  and  the  document  title  on  the  top  of  each  sheet.    Additional  copies  and  an  online  interactive  copy  can  be  found  at:  

 http://www.loc.gov/teachers/primary-­‐source-­‐analysis-­‐tool/  

         

 

Name____________________________    Document  Title____________________